In 2025, the Spanish authorities adopted a draft law that tightens restrictions on smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes in public places. The new rules significantly expand the list of areas where smoking is now prohibited, including outdoor café terraces, swimming pools, university campuses, sports facilities, and service vehicles.
The document, prepared by the Ministry of Health, aims to create more smoke-free zones. The agency notes that the regulations in place since 2005 no longer meet current challenges. In particular, there has been an increase in the popularity of alternative nicotine consumption methods and a rise in marketing campaigns related to these products.
Under the new provisions, smoking and vaping are prohibited not only indoors, but also on the outdoor terraces of hospitality venues and at public transport stops. In addition, a fifteen-meter safety zone is established around medical facilities, schools, playgrounds, and other protected areas, where the use of tobacco products and their analogues is also banned.
Despite active discussions, the final version of the document did not include a provision for introducing standard packaging for cigarettes. According to the ministry, this issue may be considered during further parliamentary debates. A decision to increase the tax burden on tobacco products has also not yet been made, although such a measure was discussed among the relevant agencies.
The new legislative initiative is part of a comprehensive anti-smoking program for 2024–2027. Key goals of the program include preventing tobacco use among young people and reducing secondhand smoke exposure in public and private spaces. Authorities expect these measures will help create future generations unaffected by the harms of tobacco smoke.
